


stay tonight

by orphan_account



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Director!Irene, F/F, Fluff, Solo Artist!Seulgi, enjoy, excuse my lack of knowledge about mv production
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23997286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She’s ethereal.And when they get the shot of Seulgi on the roof, silhouette dark as death against the night sky with all its stars and constellations, smoke unfurling from her lips like a vice, Joohyun thinks she might have fallen for the first time in her life.
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Kim Yerim | Yeri/Park Sooyoung | Joy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 123





	stay tonight

Their first meeting is mediocre. Purely professional, as all things relating to Bae Joohyun should be. 

What’s anything but professional is the look of surprise on the barista’s face as he watches one Bae Joohyun dash through the doors of the local coffee shop on a Monday, grab the wrong coffee that contains six shots of espresso and nearly collapses onto the floor in her rush to leave. Joohyun was usually adamantly against making a fool of herself in public, but rather there than at work, she supposes. 

She makes her way across the parking lot to her car, a senile black sedan that is no doubt on its last leg. When she opens the car door she’s only mildly surprised to find her cell phone vibrating aggressively on the center console. When she picks up a hostile male voice is already talking her ear off demanding that she meet him at a specific address at ten AM sharp for a photoshoot with one Kang Seulgi. She only immediately assumes it’s going to extend to the course of the entire week, because it’s only a Monday and supposedly the celebrity was preparing for her solo debut, an unforgettable milestone in any artist’s career.

Kang Seulgi wasn’t necessarily an obscure figure in the music industry, but the ex-Red Velvet member turned soloist had a reputation for being humble, despite her striking looks and incredible talent relating to anything musical. It’s not an unusual job for Joohyun, who has photographed some of the world’s most popular models and artists, Kang Seulgi being no exception. 

Joohyun gets into work five minutes later than she was shooting for, meaning she only has forty-five minutes to get all the way across town, but she makes it. The interior of the venue is dark with no windows, and the crew is sparse but already set up. A woman that Joohyun can only guess is Kang Seulgi has her back turned to Joohyun. A stylist sits on the opposite side of her, adjusting the front of her shirt, and all that Joohyun can see of her is dark brown hair falling onto her broad shoulders. Joohyun pays her no mind, intent on perfecting the shoot rather than work relations, so she turns on her heel and heads towards the reason she’s here in the first place. 

She had been told not to bring her own camera and instead is provided with a Canon EOS RP. It’s an excellent camera, but one that Joohyun would easily pass up for her own. She’s not complaining, though. Minimal lighting adjustments have to be done before the set is ready, and the crew is on top of things, which is a rarity.

Joohyun hasn’t really seen a photo of Kang Seulgi before, save for a few glimpses of shampoo ads on the television. But when the woman turns around and starts heading in Joohyun’s direction she realizes that she really is gorgeous, not in an ordinary way but in a delicate, enigmatic sort of way, one that Joohyun couldn’t quite put her finger on. She chalks it up to the styling and proceeds with the shoot, harboring nothing but professional admiration for the artist, she decides. 

Seulgi works just as fast as Joohyun. It’s a nice change of pace, and they’re able to finish the majority of the shoot before the sun sets. The photos come out better than Joohyun had expected, and maybe it’s Seulgi’s sharp gaze and the tilt of her head that ties it all together but Joohyun starts to wonder what she would look like in different lighting. 

Her curiosity comes to an end when the lighting supervisor flicks a switch and the lights turn blood red, making Seulgi’s face look borderline ethereal and Joohyun thinks it’s perfect. The lighting supervisor glances up at Joohyun with a quirked eyebrow and Joohyun nods back.

“It’s perfect,” she says.

Seulgi descends onto one knee in front of the backdrop, red lips parted slightly and throat bobbing wickedly. The red lighting masks most of what Joohyun can see of her features but she looks gorgeous and entirely in her element, all sharp lines and smooth planes. Joohyun’s eyes flicker down the expanse of her neck and collarbones, shadows dipping into the hollows of her neck and making her look like something out of scripture, like Aphrodite herself. Her feather-light brown hair is cut just below her collarbones and frames her stunning features so perfectly and Joohyun suddenly wants so badly to run her fingers through it. 

After far too long Joohyun realizes with horror that she’s staring, a lot, so she jerks her head down to fumble with her camera before bringing it up to her face. The sight is just as enchanting through the viewfinder but this time she doesn’t have to mask her awe. Seulgi’s practically staring Joohyun down, looking incredibly intimidating in just a black t-shirt and a blazer that compliments the set of her shoulders perfectly. 

Joohyun only needs three shots but she takes twenty and she knows she’s going to have an extremely difficult time choosing between them because Seulgi looks gorgeous in every single one. 

Not that she would tell anyone.

x

They finish the shoot far after the sun has set, and after being in a dark room for so long Joohyun has to squint when she steps outside and is assaulted with the bright neon lights of the city. 

The metal door behind her clicks shut once more and Joohyun spins around, searching, definitely not subconsciously hoping it was a certain artist, but instead the foul smell of cologne floods her senses and she’s disappointed to find the face of the videographer, a tall slim man who’s much too condescending for her liking. 

Joohyun knew that she wasn’t bad-looking, in fact she’s been told a few too many times how pretty she supposedly is, but the constant attention from her male co-workers really gets under her skin sometimes. She knows she’s far too intimidating and standoffish to approach but she’d rather reject someone than have them stealing glances at her from afar for the entirety of their correspondence together.

Which is why she’s almost grateful when the man clears his throat and looks down at Joohyun, all too confidently, and probably not considering the possibility of rejection.

So Joohyun attempts to shut him down before he even opens his mouth by flashing him a smile and turning to walk the other way. Her movement is hindered when a firm hand grips her shoulder. Joohyun isn't sure if it’s just the ghostly breeze drifting through the alley but an unsettling kind of cold seeps through her jacket at the touch, and she freezes, whipping her head around to shoot him a deathly glare.

It’s proved unnecessary when a second figure approaches from behind, and their voice is the first thing Joohyun hears when they say, “Joohyun, are you ready to go?” and the words take a moment to register because the figure steps into the moonlight and it’s Seulgi, dressed down to a simple t-shirt and jeans and looking way too genuine and friendly to be in an alley at 11 PM. 

Joohyun quickly catches on to the implications of what Seulgi is doing, nods and squeaks a “yes” before Seulgi is taking her hand and dragging her into a nearby street. 

“I’m sorry,” Seulgi says immediately.

“For what?”

“I don’t know. You’re really scary, you know that?” Seulgi says, lips quirked up. “I’m surprised he even tried anything with you.”

“Oh,” Joohyun says, thinks, your eyes look really pretty under the moonlight. Berates herself for it.

Seulgi sucks in a hesitant breath before asking, “Where are you headed?”

“I’m parked a block that way,” Joohyun says, lifting a finger to point. 

“Do you mind if I walk you? I mean, it’s just late, and it’d be better for both of us, I’m headed the same way-“

“Seulgi. It’s fine,” Joohyun says, tries to keep her features stoic despite the sudden warmth blossoming in her chest and spreading to her fingers. “Let’s walk together.”

“Okay.”

They walk in silence, but it’s not oppressive. Joohyun watches Seulgi’s retreating figure, thinks about red lights and brown hair and all the ways stars coexist.

x

That’s the last time for a while Joohyun sees Seulgi. She’s definitely not disappointed, not discouraged at all when she passes by a massive poster the size of an entire storefront featuring none other than Kang Seulgi, in her black blazer and in red lights and staring at passerby the same way she stared at Joohyun through the camera.

A month later Joohyun finds a manilla folder thrown haphazardly onto her desk, opens it and discovers that SM loved her work on the photoshoot and upon discovering she had a background in cinematography hired her for the shooting of Kang Seulgi’s new solo. 

Joohyun is absolutely very calm and fine with it.

The first site they’re shooting at is something out of Greek mythology, white and pristine with massive stained glass windows stretching all the way from the ground to the domed ceiling. The evening sun shines at an angle through the foyer window, perfect for the shoot and hitting the glossy marble floors in a way that sends spectrums of light across the walls and ceiling. It’s gorgeous, really. 

Seulgi herself sits cross-legged on an ornate chair across the room, getting her makeup and hair done and eyeing Joohyun with an unreadable expression on her face. Joohyun stares back. Seulgi’s solo song is drifting through speakers positioned around the room. Joohyun registers subconsciously that Seulgi’s voice is borderline heavenly. 

“Hi,” Seulgi says. Joohyun’s head snaps up.

“Hey,” Joohyun says, waves lamely.

Their strange staring contest is cut short when a staff member calls Joohyun over to supervise the lighting arrangements. Joohyun thinks it’s unnecessary that anything artificial be added to this particular venue because it’s perfect as is, but she welcomes the excuse to escape Seulgi’s piercing gaze. 

When Joohyun turns her attention back to the crew and the artist in question, Seulgi has the staff gathered around her in a circle like some sort of kindergarten show-and-tell. Seulgi puffs out her cheeks a few times, presses her hands to her mouth and then parts her lips, and suddenly smoke is curling out of her mouth, dancing in the air and disappearing. It’s nothing but a neat party trick but it causes a complete shift in the atmosphere, not one unnoticed by the crew, whos’ mouths are gaping open in awe. Seulgi offers them a sheepish smile and looks to Joohyun. 

“That’d be a great shot. What do you think, Joohyun?” a staff member asks, peering over Seulgi’s shoulder.

Joohyun nods, nods like she’s considering and not like that was the most captivating thing she’s ever watched anyone do. 

x

If watching Seulgi stand still and look at the camera had Joohyun’s heart racing, she was not prepared to watch Seulgi dance.

Seulgi transitions fluidly between motions, weaving a tapestry of movement, all abstract shapes and muted colors. A silk shirt is draped over her slim form, exposing her collarbones and creasing with every jerk of her limbs, and if this isn’t the personification of poetry then Joohyun doesn’t know what is.

She’s ethereal.

And when they get the shot of Seulgi on the roof, silhouette dark as death against the night sky with all its stars and constellations, smoke unfurling from her lips like a vice, Joohyun thinks she might have fallen for the first time in her life.

x

Numerous hours into the shoot and with numerous hours left to go, Seulgi is undergoing a costume change in a makeshift dressing room that’s actually just a bathroom when Joohyun hears a muted thump on the other side of the door. The wardrobe technician is occupied with positioning the props around the room because apparently they’re short one too many set designers and so Joohyun treads over to the door hesitantly, knocks twice, knuckles rapping against the dense wood. 

The door is thrown open in an instant, and Seulgi stands in front of a full-length mirror, surprise evidence on her face because Joohyun is probably the last person she was expecting to come knocking at the door.

“Are you okay?” Joohyun asks before Seulgi can make any assumptions.

“Sorry. Can you fix my collar? I can’t see it in the mirror.”

“Of course.” Joohyun says, calm and collected and her eyes definitely don’t flit across Seulgi’s flushed skin, evidence that she had tried to fix it herself but failed. She has no idea why she shuts the door behind them but she does, the deadbolt locks in place and the absence of other people in the room is suddenly very apparent. 

The bathroom is eerily quiet, the only sounds heard being the both of their breathing and the rustle of fabric as Seulgi turns her back to Joohyun and waits hesitantly. Joohyun steps forward, brushes Seulgi’s hair away from her neck and folds her collar down. When Joohyun’s knuckles brush across the exposed skin there Joohyun realizes that Seulgi’s neck is very, very warm, but she convinces herself it’s just the stuffy atmosphere. If Seulgi notices that Joohyun’s hand lingers before it adjusts the fabric once more before drawing away she doesn’t show it.

“You’re a really good dancer,” Joohyun blurts.

Seulgi laughs, soft and light, and Joohyun’s fingers tingle. “Thank you. I’ve been dancing since I was five,” she says. Joohyun can see in the mirror in front of them that Seulgi’s adjusting the cuffs of her sleeves so that they extend past her fingers like the stylist had instructed. 

“I can tell.”

They both loiter in a comfortable silence. The v-shaped hole in the back of Seulgi's shirt causes the rest of the material to hang low on her back, and Joohyun can see the muscles between her shoulder blades flexing as she fiddles with her sleeves. Joohyun stares for far too long before Seulgi turns back around, smooths her shirt down and flashes Joohyun an endearing smile before gesturing to the door. They exit the dressing room into the foyer of the house, glowing orange and illuminated by the evening sun.

x

Joohyun is far from pleased when she arrives at the next venue a week later and sharp, torrential rain is coming from the sky in sheets, splattering the asphalt and soaking her shoes the moment she steps out of her sedan. 

“It's raining,” Joohyun states bluntly as she approaches the crew that are taking shelter under a nearby storefront.

“Yeah. We decided to shoot anyway,” a familiar voice says, and Joohyun turns around to find Seulgi standing behind her, lips parted in a sheepish smile. She’s drenched from head to toe and Joohyun would be lying if she said her eyes don’t linger on the way her hair is slicked back from her forehead and her t-shirt clings onto her frame. She must have come off as displeased because Seulgi self-consciously runs a hand through her hair and peers down at her drenched clothes, looking apologetic.

“It’s- fine,” Joohyun manages. “It might turn out better this way. Just be careful with the equipment,” she adds, nodding to the crew. 

The rain puts a hazy effect on the scenery, being that the surrounding air is thoroughly fogged with water vapor. Nearby buildings are slick with water and Joohyun briefly considers if it could possibly be a safety hazard.

Seulgi makes the cold, monotone landscape into her stage, feet cutting gracefully through pools of water and sending streaks of water into the air that are gracefully captured by the cameras. Droplets of water stick to her face and neck and it’s almost tragic, almost like she’s weeping tears of regret. But the camera cuts and Seulgi is striding towards Joohyun, suddenly carefree and bright despite shivering from the cold and maybe Joohyun is being dramatic but she’s like a beacon of light that parts the foggy atmosphere, so different from her prior demeanor that Joohyun almost gets whiplash. 

Joohyun grabs a towel off a nearby chair, steps forward and drapes it around Seulgi almost by instinct. Seulgi shoots her a grateful smile and tucks her hands into the towel, bringing it closer around her torso.

“Thanks, boss,” she says, smile turning lopsided.

Joohyun lets out a laugh but shuts her mouth as soon as the sound escapes. “I’m not your boss. I’m the director,” she says. 

“Right. How’d I do?”

“You did…” Spectacular. Amazing. Wonderful. You’re incredible. 

“You did great. We should be able to start production soon.” 

x

The last thing Joohyun was expecting was the addition of a trip to Thailand.

It’s entirely impractical, Joohyun thinks, they’ve got all the shots they need; but when the plane lands the first thing Joohyun sees is blue, a vast expanse of ocean that stretches all the way to the horizon and it’s beautiful. It’s practically something out of those travel Instagrams, except just as gorgeous without the sixteen layers of photoshop. A camera could definitely never capture the way the sun causes specks of light to dance across her vision, making the entire landscape seem four-dimensional. 

The airport is pretty traditional on the exterior, but the interior is crammed with chain stores and restaurants with lit-up storefronts, reflecting onto the vast expanse of windows to their right in front of the pitch-black outdoors; the structure was practically in the middle of nowhere and Joohyun wasn’t necessarily looking forward to the long ride to the hotel.

“Costumer isn’t a word,” Seulgi’s voice says from behind Joohyun, sneakers squeaking on the impeccably clean tile floor. 

“Sure it is,” Joohyun hears an unfamiliar voice say, likely belonging to their new junior IT specialist, Kim Yerim. Either her and Seulgi had hit it off right away, or they knew each other prior to her addition to the team just yesterday, because they didn’t stop talking the entire plane ride.

(Not that Joohyun minded listening to Seulgi talk.)

“Then how come when I type it into my phone it gets underlined in red?”

“Maybe your phone isn’t updated. I’m telling you, it’s in the dictionary.”

“Shut up. You’re illiterate, stop making up words.”

“You shut up. I’ll have you know that I know many other cool words besides costumer.”

“Like what?”

A pause. Then, “Abecedarian, abracadabra. Accoutrements. Adagio.”

“Did you just look up ‘cool words’ on Google?” Seulgi scoffs in disbelief. 

“No.”

“They’re in alphabetical order.”

“Yeah, well maybe I got them from the dictionary, dumbass.”

“Is that where you got costumer? Must be a shit dictionary.”

Joohyun hears the sound of hurried footsteps and suddenly Yerim is at her side, presumably having gotten tired of bickering with Seulgi.

“Hi, Joohyun! Are you into women?”

Joohyun doesn’t respond at first because what? and also how did she know? and Seulgi is walking right behind her and Yerim, and if Seulgi is straight then Joohyun is definitely straight but if she likes women then it’s definitely not Joohyun’s fault if she lets slip that she does as well.

“Um,” she says intelligently. 

“Yerim! You can’t ask her that,” Seulgi says from behind them, and suddenly Yerim is gone because she had been pulled backwards by the wrist. Seulgi looks mildly embarrassed, but Yerim just shrugs it off and gets distracted by a display of neck pillows nearby. Joohyun is definitely flustered but dismisses the strange question as partial to Yerim’s childlike curiosity.

x

Joohyun’s stomach drops a few hours later when a staff member approaches her, nervous and wringing his hands, telling her there’s been a change of plans due to unfortunate circumstances. So she’s almost relieved to find out that the only fallout of said “unfortunate circumstances” is her having to share a room with Seulgi. Almost, because as soon as it registers with her that she’ll be sharing a room with Seulgi, she immediately wishes she would’ve had to share a room with a sweaty middle-aged man instead.

Sharing a room with Seulgi turns out to be graciously uneventful, and showering and getting ready for bed is a placid affair. Seulgi is respectful of Joohyun’s space in all the right ways; she turns away when Joohyun steps out of the bathroom in a towel and doesn’t attempt conversation with her other than polite small talk and discussion about bathroom arrangements. The latter is a tad disheartening, but Joohyun doesn’t blame her because she knows she’s not exactly the friendliest person herself.

And when Seulgi murmurs a “goodnight” to Joohyun, clicks the bedside light off and turns away from her in the bed, she makes a decision.

(Maybe it has to do with everything’s lack of visibility in the darkness, casting a blanket of tranquility over the room. Or the way Joohyun watches the slow rise and fall of Seulgi’s silhouette backlit by the brilliant lights of the city outside the window, making everything seem entirely unreal.)

She takes a deep breath, whispers Seulgi’s name into the darkness.

“Yes?” 

Joohyun grapples for something to say. 

“I am into women.”

“What?” Seulgi says, not startled but curious, and she turns over under the sheets to face Joohyun. 

“What Yerim asked me at the airport. So… you can let her know. That I am.”

Seulgi’s lips spread into an adorable smile. “That’s good. I mean, I’ll let her know.” 

“Good.”

A beat of silence passes before Seulgi says, “You’re kind of weird, Joohyun.”

Joohyun starts laughing because it was so sudden but Seulgi’s eyes widen and she says, “No! I mean, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re just kind of mysterious. I was talking to the crew earlier and one of them referred to you as the ‘pretty short lady’ because she didn’t even know your name. I think half of them are scared shitless by you.”

This wasn’t really news to Joohyun. She’s never been directly told this by someone, not like Seulgi’s doing but the implications were there: offhand comments about her thrown over people’s shoulders when they thought she wasn’t listening, people trying to avoid conversation with her as much as possible. But here Seulgi is, saying it to her face with the most earnest expression painting her features. 

“And you aren’t?” Joohyun asks.

“No. Well, kind of, but I’ve had my fair share of being judged for nothing in the idol industry. I think you deserve better than that.”

Joohyun smiles at that, smiles in a way that she hasn’t in a while. 

“Thank you,” she says, and it’s enough, because Seulgi gives her a reassuring smile before wishing her goodnight again and turning over to face the window.

x

Joohyun had commandeered an empty conference room for her call with the record label executive the next morning, a call she wasn’t keen on making but a necessary call nonetheless. She had also conveniently lost her keycard, and wasn’t looking forward to finding out whoever picks it up from the ground and decides to test some room doors with it. Joohyun wasn’t one to see the best in people, simply put.

Seulgi had stayed in their room to sleep in. She confessed to Joohyun that she had been overworking herself, staying up until the sun rises tediously perfecting her choreography, which Joohyun reprimanded her for. 

She’s heading back to the room now, hoping that Seulgi is awake because Plan B is just to knock on the door and pray that she answers. She’s relieved to hear voices inside, multiple, she realizes with a start, and raises her hand to knock before she picks out one of the voice as Yerim’s and her interest piques.

“First you have to know if she’s into you,” Yerim’s muffled voice says from behind the door. 

“How the hell do I do that?” another voice, Seulgi, says.

“I asked her if she liked women, you’re welcome by the way, and she looked at me like she wanted me dead. So sorry, but you’re on your own.”

Immediately Joohyun knows they’re talking about her. Unless Yerim went around asking women if they like other women, which is plausible but she highly doubts. She also knows that she should stop eavesdropping immediately, but Joohyun, long-time overachiever and self-sustainable at the age of sixteen, allows herself to make one bad choice in her life. She leans into the door. 

“She told me she was. Last night.”

“For real?”

“Yeah! Maybe I should ask if she’s into young korean women between the ages of twenty-five and thirty,” came Seulgi’s voice. Joohyun has to stifle a giggle.

“Ew no, that sounds like a sex ad on a sketchy website.”

“Do you have a better idea? You’re the one dating Sooyoung.”

“I don’t know! Compliment her.”

“She’d probably think I’m being friendly or something.”

“I don’t know,” Yerim says again. “That’s probably unlikely. Also she smiled at you. Which, like, considering Joohyun, you deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Yerim’s voice says, louder, and it’s only when the door flies open that Joohyun realizes (far too late) that it was because she was leaving the room. Before she can react or drop to the floor or something, Yerim plasters on a million-watt smile and says, “Hi, Joohyun!”

At the sound of Joohyun’s name, Seulgi’s neck snaps up at the speed of sound. “Oh, my god,” she whispers, face stark white.

A palm is placed flat against her back and suddenly she’s being shoved past the doorway into the room and Yerim is shouting in her ear “You two should probably talk, bye!” before the door slams shut behind her, only the deafening silence of the hotel room remaining. 

And Seulgi.

Who is currently staring back at Joohyun, her usually sharp, confident gaze now desperately flitting about Joohyun’s features, searching for a reaction.

“Um.”

“I-“

“You go first.”

Seulgi clears her throat once. “I… am romantically interested in you. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, and we don’t have to room together anymore if you don’t want-“

“Stop talking.”

“What?”

Joohyun lifts an arm, hesitant at first, but when Seulgi doesn’t flinch away, she reaches up and cups her cheek. Joohyun realizes she hasn’t really touched Seulgi before, and call her dramatic but when their skin comes in contact a flurry of butterflies erupts in Joohyun’s stomach and she feels so, so light. Seulgi’s face is warm to the touch and the butt of Joohyun’s palm fits perfectly under her jaw. 

“I like you too. Romantically,” Joohyun whispers. 

“That’s— that’s good. Now it’s gonna be awkward to room together so we should probably kiss or something to break the tension,” Seulgi says, and as soon as she suggests it Joohyun is leaning up, and then in, and Seulgi meets her halfway.

Seulgi’s lips are soft. Joohyun briefly wonders what kind of lip balm she uses but then Seulgi’s lips move against hers and her brain short-circuits, and the only thing that registers to her in that moment is _Seulgi_. Soft skin under hand, soft lips on hers, a hand coming up to rest on her waist, hesitant and barely there. Joohyun’s hand shifts from Seulgi’s warm cheek to her even warmer neck, and if Joohyun thought Seulgi was exquisite from afar it was a whole different magnitude being this close to her, being wholly hers for a moment. 

They spend that night wrapped up in each other, Seulgi’s spine slotted against Joohyun’s front and Joohyun’s face tucked into Seulgi’s shoulder. Seulgi’s back expands with every breath, slow and methodical and Joohyun gets the best sleep she’s had in a long time.

x 

They get all the shots they need by the end of the week. It’s the kind of efficiency that Joohyun prides herself on. Soon enough they all return home, and the team begins the production process. Well, the team plus Joohyun, who isn’t really part of the team but was selected to direct the project anyway.

Joohyun’s deep-rooted love for cinematography was nothing compared to what she felt when Seulgi was at the center of her screen, camera panning the expanse of her neck and shoulders and face and god when the light hit her irises just right they lit up and Joohyun swore she could see universes reflected in them. But as soon as it came, the light was gone as the camera panned and shadows started to dance across Seulgi’s features, painting her face like a mosaic and it’s safe to say that Joohyun is screwed.

x

What was supposed to be the last time Joohyun sees Seulgi is Joohyun’s meeting with the record label that Seulgi insists she attend as well.

Seulgi wears a pretty floral dress the color of dandelions that day. Her hair is styled away from her forehead and Joohyun’s nerves go haywire when she sees her. 

It’s definitely not the last time Joohyun will be seeing Seulgi because after the meeting everyone files out except for them, and they’re left in a tense silence. Seulgi lingers by the door, and Joohyun strides up to her, lifts a hand and toys with the sleeve of her dress and says “Kang Seulgi, would you like to go on a date with me?”

By way of answer, Seulgi leans in slowly, and Joohyun waits, pedantic and patient, until Seulgi says against Joohyun’s lips, “I thought you’d never ask.” Joohyun closes her eyes against the shiver that starts in her spine and spreads to her arms. Something takes flight inside of her, and it grows throughout her body like grain in wood, slow and steady and ubiquitous. She knows it’s there to stay. 

Joohyun closes the distance and it feels like closure, like coming home after a long drive down from the mountains. Seulgi smells like ylang-ylang and sandalwood and Joohyun tucks her nose under Seulgi’s jaw, breathes her in. Brings their lips back together and whispers everything she’s felt for the past two months into Seulgi’s mouth like a prayer.

x

**Author's Note:**

> hit up my [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/viviscus) and [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/viviscus)


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